Holy Family Men's Hoops Thriving Under Senior Leadership

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Division II Holy Family University men's basketball has enjoyed extraordinary success this season.

The Tigers are 21-4 and an even more impressive 15-1 in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, which is good for the top spot in the South Division, a division the Tigers can clinch outright with a win tonight at home against Chestnut Hill.

Holy Family is getting this done with a roster that has a wealth of experience. The Tigers have nine seniors on the team and head coach R.C. Kehoe says it is a special group.

"When you're coaching guys that, one, accept their role," Kehoe tells KYW Newsradio, "but, two, also care about one thing and that's ultimately winning every day, our motto is 'win the day,' when you have a group that has no egos, that has no hidden agendas, it becomes a joy to coach. And I'm excited every day that I head into the office or into the gym with these guys."

Listen to the entire studio interviews with Holy Family's R.C. Kehoe, Turhan Griffin and Xavier Williams:

One of the seniors playing a key role this season for the Tigers is guard Turhan Griffin. He says their experience and comfort level as a team is a big reason why they are having the success they are.

"We've been together two, three, four years," Griffin tells KYW Newsradio, "and I feel as though we know each other to the point where we come down the court and we just look at each other like, 'It's time to go. It's time to play. Can't play games with these guys.' We've grown closer each game. I mean we had some rough patches in the beginning, but we sat down, talked about it, as a family, the egos aside, and grew. Grew from that. Every game is just another lesson to be learned, keep 'punching the bag' as coach says. I feel as though this is a family and the family continues to grow every day."

Another member of this senior class is guard/forward Xavier Williams. He agrees that something special is taking place this season.

"I can't equate it to any other seasons I've had here," Williams tells KYW Newsradio. "This is the most winning that we've done. This is the most playing that I've done, it's the most I've contributed to the team. We grew closer together this year. So I'm having an awesome time."

The Tigers are the toughest team in the nation in Division II to shoot the basketball against. They hold teams to 36.3% shooting from the field. On offense, three Tigers average double figures, led by yet another one of the seniors, Reggie Charles, and his 16.3 points per game.

Holy Family has three regular season games left and then the focus turns to the postseason. As much as the Tigers have done right, Kehoe says they can get even better.

"We need to become more efficient offensively," Kehoe says. "We're a free-flowing offense, we make no bones about it, anybody that plays us, knows it. We'll shoot it from anywhere at any time. But we have to make subtle adjustments."

Holy Family's game tonight with Chestnut Hill begins at 8:00pm.